Combined needle-arm and compressor for grain-binders



(No Model.)

J.v L. OWENS.

GOMBINED NEEDLE VARM'IANID GQMPEESSOE FOR GRAIN BINDERS. No. 265,978.Patented Oct. 17, 1882.

messes \SQ QM Jag WM n. PETERS. FfimLiD-ognpiwr. Wahinm o a UNITEDSTATES PATENT FFICE JOHN LLOYD ownns, or MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

COMBINED NEEDLE-ARM AND COMPRESSOR FOR GRAIN-BINDERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 265,978, dated October17, 1882.

(No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN LLOYD OWENS, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State ofMinnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in CombinedNeedle- Arm and Compressor for Grain-Binders, set forth in the annexedspecification.

This invention relates to the needle-arms of grain-binders; and itconsists in the manner of constructing and arranging a combinedneedle-arm and compressing-arm, whereby when the two arms are broughtforward into the proper position for forming the knot around the gavelthe forward end of the needle-arm and the compressing-armwill t'orm anearly complete and perfect circle around the bundle, while the rearportion of the needle-arm will form a divider to hold the next gavelback, as hereinafter shown.

. In the needle-arms of grain-binders two requisites are necessary,first, to pass through the loose grain and carry enough of it to form abundle forward to the knot-tying mechanism, and at the same timecompress and hold the grain while being so tied; and, second, to holdthe remainder of the grain back by the rear side of the arm to preventits interfering with the grain being bound.

The grain, when run down from the elevating belts or fingers, is in aloose mass, and hence must be compressed before the knot is tied in thebinding cord or wire, while at-the same time it is very essential thatthe loose straw should be divided and held back far enough from thebundle being bound to separate the loose grain from the bound bundle.Heretofore this compressing anddividing have been done by extra andseparate sets of arms or mechanism; but by my arrangement the gavel tobebound is compressed and divided from the loose grain by one operationand only two connected arms. I attain these objects by the use of themechanism illustrated by the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure lis a side view of a portion of the binding-table and the connectedneedle and compressor arms in their upward position. Fig. :3 is a sideview of the same parts in their lower position. Fig. 3 is a. plan viewwhen the arms are at their highest position, and Fig. 4 is a plan viewwhen the arms are at their lowest position. Fig. 5 is a perspective viewof the arms at their highest position.

A. represents the outlines of the bindingtable, upon which the grainfalls after it leaves the elevator; andB,theneedle-arm, connected by itsrear end at a to an oscillating crankarm, 0, and provided with a curvedcompressor'arm, D, which is attached at one end to a shaft, E, andpivoted at I) by the other end in the needle-arm B, some distance fromits point 0, as shown. The forward end of the needlearm, from the point0 to about the bend at d, is a segment of a circle, of which the shaft Eis the center, and from d to the pivot b is the segment of a circle, theradius of which is the same as the radius of the compressor-arm D, whilethe remainder of the arm B, from Z) to a, is a long curve without anynecessary definite radius. By this arrangement, when the arms B D aredown beneath the table A, as shown in Fig. 2, the table is unobstructed,so that as large a quantity of loose grain as may be required to form abundle is free to run down upon the table, and then when the crank-arm Ois turned upward, carrying the needle-arm B with it, the point from c to61 being on a curve, the radius of which is the center of the shaft E,and the crank-arm G lying nearly on a line between the shaft E and pivot(1., the

point 0 will retain the same distance from the shaft E during the firstpart of its stroke, so that it will pass up through the loose grainwithout moving it up or down the table A until the point a has passedabove the grain. Then the curve from d to b will draw it down thetableA, and the compressor-arm D coming into play, the gavel will begradually compressed into a circle, as shown in Figs. 1 and 5, whilethat part of the arm B from I) to a will keep the loose straw back, andthus create a space, F, between the loose straw and compressed bundlesufficiently large to separate the butts and heads of the two parts andprevent interlocking. By this simple arrangement I form acompressor,needle-arm, and divider by the two peculiarly formed and operated arms BD,and all operated by one movement of one crank-arm, O. The radius ofthe arm adapted to be oscillated about said shaft by a crank-arm, (3,whereby the parts operate as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set r5 my hand in the presence oftwo subscribing arm D will be the same as or less than the bundle beingbound. Hence the bundle will be compressed equally on all sides, so thatthe strain is in a great measure removed from the 5 cord or wire and thebundles more symmetrically bound. witnesses.

What I claim as new is- 'lhe combination of the needle-arm B and JOHNLLOYD OWENS compressor-arm D, the said compressor-arm WVitnesses:

'O. N. TOODW'ARD,

IO pivoted at one end in said needle-arm and at LoUIs FEESER, Sr.

the other end to a shaft, E, and said needle- Al I

